Somerset (237-4) trail Nottinghamshire (440) by 203 runs

The English summer is a better place for witnessing Marcus Trescothick spank an Australian paceman around the ground. The old Banger is back.

Trescothick followed a century last week at Hove by treating Taunton to a taste of his belligerent best, no more so than in his disdainful treatment of Ashes hero Peter Siddle. In consecutive deliveries, the Nottinghamshire bowler was cracked and crunched for four and six, as the former England opener’s 72 provided the platform for Somerset’s response.

Trescothick is Taunton’s talisman; his poor last season with the bat appeared to reverberate through the club’s top order and led to premature mutterings about retirement of the man known and loved as “Banger” (for his penchant for sausages as much as his destructive batting). The 39-year-old’s return to form has lifted a collective grief at Taunton, and Somerset look like a different team with him leading from the front.

Joy at one end of the track, however, was matched with frustration at the other, as Nick Compton failed to capitalise on a promising start under the watch of Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket and newly appointed England selector.

Compton has been working in the nets on his attacking zeal with a new back-foot punch through the covers, reminiscent of Mike Atherton’s tip-toed finest. He showed it off twice against Ajmal Shahzad, but then fell at slip for 25 attempting a flashing square cut off second-change seamer Steve Mullaney.

Alviro Petersen (unbeaten on 62) was a man on a mission, with two fours and two sixes his first scoring shots. Samit Patel was the victim, lofted once into the Sir Ian Botham stand, and once over it into the River Tone behind, in his first over.

Earlier, Alfonso Thomas and Lewis Gregory wrapped up Nottinghamshire’s first innings with a minimum of fuss, the last five wickets falling for 58. Chris Read fell four short of his century when he feathered Thomas behind to Craig Kieswetter, and Patel, all nonchalant lofted drives and opulent wristy flicks on day one, barely timed the ball before falling for 132.